Peanut-picking machine



P. L. MORRIS PEANUT PIGKING MACHINE Filed Oct. a, 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 1March 12, 1929. p, o s 1,704,805

PEANUT PIGKING MACHINE Fi led Oct. 8, 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 12,1929. P. L. MORRIS PEANUT PICKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet3 March 12, 1929. P. MORRIS PEANUT PICKING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed Oct. 8, 1925 March 12, 1929. .P. L. Moms 1,7o4,sqs

' PEANUT PICKING. MACHINE Filed 001.. 192s 9 Sheets-Sheet e II I I I. I

March 12, 1929. P. L. MORR IS 80 PEANUT'PICKING'MACHINE Filed 0013.8,1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 J [m r P. L. MORRIS PEANUT PIGKING MACHINE March12, 1929.

e Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Oct. a, 1912s March 12, 1929- P. L. MO RRI'S1,704,805

PEANUT PICKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 8, 1923 9 Sheets-Sheet 9' PatentedMar. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PAUL L. MORRIS, O1 POTTSTOWN, PENlN'SYLVA NIA.

PEANUT-PICKING nmcnnm.

Application fi led October s, 1923. Serial No. 667,265.

This invention relates to machines adapt-.

ed for picking peanuts from the vines, and the invention resides incertain novel and advantageous details of construction hereinafter setforth.

One of the specific objects of the invention is to provide a machinewhich is adjustable for different sizes of peanuts whereby the scope ofthe machine is greatly increased over those machines which are adaptedfor the picking of but one size only.

In the attached drawings:

Figure "1, is a side elevation of a machine made in accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 2, is a side elevation on the reverse side from that shown in .Fig.1;

Fig. 3, is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 4, is a section on the line 4-4, Fi 3;

ig. 5, is a. seetionon the line 5-5,

Fig. 4;'

Fig. 6, is a section on the line 6-6, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7, is a plan view of one end of the lower rack;

Fig. 8, is a plan view of the other end of the lower rack;

Fig. 9, is a side elevation of the, lower rack;

Fig. 10, is a sectionon the line 1010, Fig. 7

. Fig. 11, is a section on,the line 11-11, Fig. 8;

Fig. 12, 'is a diagrammatic view showing the relation between the teethon the lower rack and the teeth on the upper rack;

Fig. 13, is a fragmentary longitudinal secgon illustrating details ofthe movable 11w Fig. 14, is a fragmentary plan view of that portion ofthe movable rack illustrated in Fig. 13;,

Fig. 15, is a fragmentary side elevation of the lower rack adjustingmeans;

I Fig. 16, is a section on the line 1616,

ig. 15; I

Fig. 17, is a section on the line 17-17, Fig. 1, and

Fig. 18, is a section on the line 18-18, Fig. 17.

\Vith. reference to the drawings, the machine comprises a main frameconsisting of uprights 1, 1, and longitudinal bars 2, 2, and

transverse bars 3, 3, respectively. 'Journaledat what will be termed theforward or intake end of the macnine and supported in suitable bearings4 on the main frame, is a transverse shaft 5 which projects at each endbeyond the sides of the main frame, as shown in Fig. 3. The shaft 5 onone projecting end carries a pulley wheel 6 by means of which the shaftmay be connected to a suitable external source of power (not shown).This end of the shaft also earries, one at each side of the pulley wheela pair of pulleys '7 and 8 connected respectively by means of belts 9and 10 to blowers 11 and 12 suitably supported on the main frame, theblower 11 being located at the rear end ofthe frame and the blower 12 atthe forward or intake end of the frame, as best shown in Fig. 1. Thepurposes of these blowers will be set forth hereinafter.

On the opposite end of the shaft 5 is a pair of pulle s 13 and 14, thepulley 13 being connecte by means of a belt 15, as best shown in Fig. 2,with three pulley wheels 16, 16, 16, two of which are fixed to the endsof transverse shafts 17, 17, jofirnaled in suitable bearings suspendedfrom brackets 18, 18 from the longitudinal cross bars 2. Each of thetransverse shafts 17 carries a gang saw 19 of the ty e well known in theart which are designe and adapted for the picking of small stems ortails from the peanuts after the peanuts have been separated from thevines.

The pulley 14 is connected by means of a belt 21 to a pulley 22 shownbest in Figs. 2 and 3, which is mounted on a transverse shaft 23journaled in adjustable bearings 24 on a rearward extension of the u perlongitudinal bars 2. The adjustment 0 the bearings 24 permits limitedmovement of the shaft 23 longitudinally of the machine for a purposedescribed hereinafter. The shaft 23 intermediate its ends carries a pairof sprocket wheels 25, 25. The sprockets 25,- 25, together withcorresponding sprockets 26, 26, on

a, shaft 27 journaled in bearings 28, 28, at the forward end of themachine constitute a support for an endless chain belt 29, the

,upper run of which is supported upon rollers 31, 31, carried ontransverse shafts 32, 32, journaled in bearings 33, 33, on the upperlongitudinal. frame pieces 2, as clearly shown in Figs l, 2 and 4. 1

As best illustrated in Figs. 4, 13 and 14, the conveyer chain 29 is madeup of side links 34, 34,- secured together by transverse bars 35, 35,which latter mesh with the various cross bars 36 is well illustrated inthe diagram of Fig. 12, in which the dots shown in black indicate theteeth or projecting ends 39 of the chain belt.

As well illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6,

the upper portion of the main frame of the machine in which the endlesschain belt 29 is located, and the associated parts is board ed in toform an open-ended, openbotton1 hood 41. From the sides of this hood, asbest illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is suspend ed by means of rock arms42, 42, a cradle 43, the arms 42, 42, being pivotally secured at the topto-the sideplates of the hood and having at the bottom a pivotalconnection with the cradle 43. Supported on the cradle 43 at the top; isa rack 44, this rack being provided with upwardly extending resilientteeth similar to the teeth 39 on the chain belt 34. The details of therack 44 and the means for supporting the rack on the cradle 43 areillustrated in Figs. 7 to 11, inclusive, and 15 and 16.

The rack comprises a rectangular frame 46 comprising transverse crossbars 47, 47. Supported at-the top of the forward end of the rack is aplate 48, of sheet metal in the present instance, having apertures 49and 50, the metal of'the plate being pressed down as indicated at 51 toform the openings 49, which as shown in Fig. 7 are substantiallyrectangular in shape, and the apertures being clean cut. Rearwardly ofthe plate 48 is a series of comparatively narrow transverse plates 52,the forward ends of which are supported upon cross bars 53 on the frameof the rack, and the rearward ends upon the aforesaid cross bars 47, asbest shown in Fig. 10. As clearly illustrated, the cross bars 53 arespaced apart from the nearest of the cross bars 47, leaving alongitudinal transverse slot, and the plates 52 are also provided withapertures 54 and 55, the apertures 54 being si1nilar to the apertures 49in the plate 48 and being similarly'formed, and the apertures 55 beingclean cut in the same manner as the apertures 50 in the plate 48, butbeing provided at their forward edges with serrations or teeth 56, thepurpose of these teeth being set forth hereinafter.

Secured to the side of eachof the cross bars 47, by means in the presentinstance of bolts 66.

and through the longitudinal slots between the cross bars 47 and 53,designated by the reference numeral 61, to formteeth similar to theteeth 39 of the chain belt 29 with bases loops 62 through which extendcircular rods 63 and 64, the difference between the rods 63 and 64residing in the fact that whereas the rods 63 are mounted in the sidebars of .the frame and do not project beyond the edges thereof, the rods64 do project at one end beyond the side bar of the frame, as well shownin Fig. 11, and are provided with a bearing in a bracket 65 secured tothe side of the frame through which the said rods project. The journalof this bracket 65 through which the rods 64 extend,'as best illustratedin Fig. 9, is so made as to permit tightening around the rod by meansThe projecting extremity of each of thorods64 is also. flattened toprovide for a socket wrench or other tool by means of which the rods maybe rotated, the adjustable bearings 66 constituting a clamp whereby thebars may be locked against accidental angular movement and whereby thebars may be retained in any position to' which they may be adjusted.

Each of the rods 64 hassecured thereto so as to be movable therewith aseries of teeth elements 67 essentially similai to the elements 58 andhaving their ends 68 extending upwardly to form teeth similar to theteeth 59. These elements 67,. as best shown in Figs. 10 and 11, aresecured to the rods 64 by means of pins 69. The first two rows of teethat the forward end' of the rack, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7, arecomposed of the elements 67 secured to the rods 64'. The succeedingthreerows of teeth may be composed of the elements 58 which are fixed to theframe and are immovable, while the succeeding rows of teeth, asillustrated in Fig. 11, may comprise both teeth that are fixed to theframe and teeth that are movable on the bars 64. A preferred arrangementofteeth in the rack and their relation to the teeth 39 of the upper rackconstituted by the endless chain belt 29 is well illustrated in Fig. 12,in which the teeth of the. chain, as. previously stated. are designatedby the reference numeral 39, while the iixcd and adjustable teeth, ofthe lower rack are destable teeth 68. and that by the arrangement abovedescribed, alternate teeth of certain of the rows may be thrbwn into orout of action as desired, or wholerows of the teeth may be madeoperative or inoperative to ,suit

various conditions. It will further be noted that in the rows of teethat the rear of the rack, the throwing in of the adjustable teeth soreduces the spaces bet-ween the teeth that the rack is made suitable forextremely small peanuts.

The manner in which the .rack is supported on the cradle 43 is bestshown in Figs. 15 and 16. Secured to each side of the cradle 43 arebracket elements 71 each comprising vertically aperturcd lugs .7 2, 72,in which a pin 73.is releasably held by means ofset screws 74. Eachbracket element 71 also comprises a vertically apertured lug 75 adaptedfor the'reception of a set screw or belt 76 which bears up against andconstitutes a further support for the pin 73. The upper endof each ofthe pins 73, which is of reduced diameter, fits within an aperture'c}lug 77 on a plate 78 secured to the side 0 the rack 46, and each lug 77is provided with a set screw 79 which may be, tightened against the saidreduced end of the pin. A number of. these supports is provided at eachside of the cradle 43, and the rack 44,-and the pins, which arevertically adjustable, constitute an adjustable support for the rackwhereby the latter may be elevated above the cradle to adjust thedistance between the rack and the lower'run of the chain belt 29 as maybe found desirable. It will further be noted by reference to Fig.4, thatthe rack 44 is more steeply inclinedlthan the lower run of the chainbelt 29 whereby the forward end-of the rack 44 lies at all times closerto the lower run of the chain belt than does therear entl. It willfurther be noted that the rack 44 constitutes in effect a floor for theopen-ended casing formed by the hood 41.

To prevent the lower run of the chain belt from sagging and to maintaina uniform relation between the upper and lower racks,

I provide in each side of the hood 41, .as.

shown in Figs. 4, 17 and '18, a series of rollers 135 which underlie andsupport the edges of the belt 29. Each of the rollers occupies anopening in the side plate 41 of the'hood into which it'may be insertedfrom the inside of the latter, the rollers being held in place by anintegral. shoulder 136 and by a retaining plate 137 detachably se'.

cured by means in the present instance of'ascrew 138 to the side piece41 with the upper (UIX'Gtl edge of the, plate inserted in an annulargroove 139 in the outward projecting end of the roller.

The rollers. 135 are re- .ccssed for the reception of a stem 140 on a at84 an eccentric rod 85 which at its outer end connects with an eccentric86 on the shaft 5 whereby as the latter rotates, the entire cradle 43with the rack 44 is given a vibratory movement longitudinally of themachine.

Suspended belowthe cradle 43 by means of rocker arms 91, 91, pivot'allyattached at 92 to the sides 41 of the hood, is a second cradle 93, thearms 91 being pivotally secured at 94, 94, to the sides of the cradle.The cradle 93 has on the inside a transverse grating 96 composed oflateral bars 98, and

mounted in the cradle above this grating is an upper grate 99 composedof more or less flexible and parallel rods 101, see Figures 4 and 5,said rods being. supported only at one end, as indicated at 102,see-Fig. 4. This end- 102 of the grate 99 is connected by means of aflexible connecting element 103 to the lower end of the inclined shelf82 of the cradle 43. Opposite the forward end of the grate 96 is aninclined wall 104 which ter- Inmates at the bottom in the edge of alaterally inclined chute 105 which, as best shown in Fig. 5, extendsoutwardly beyond the side of the machine frame and communicates withashaftor duct 106 which extends upwardly along the side of the machineand enters the hood 41 through an opening 107- at a point between thelower. run of the chain belt 29 and the lower. rack 44, as best shown inFig. 6. The lowerend of the duct 106, as well shown in Fig. 1, isconnected with the blower 11.

Underlying the grate 96 is an inclined shelf 108 which extendsdownwardly and has near the bottom thereof two lateral series of slots,109, through which project the gang saws 108 terminates at the edge of atrough 111 which extends-laterally of the machine and which has openends for discharging the picked peanuts from the machine. As best shownin Fig. 4, air from the blower 12 is 19, 19. The inclined shelf directedthrough .a spout 112 transversely and upwardly through the grates 96 and99. Pivotally secured at 113 to the forward end of the cradle is an,eccentric arm 114 which is opcratively connected with an eccentric 115on the shaft 5. The eccentric 115 is preferably offset from theeccentric 86 at an angle of 180 whereby the vibrations of the cradles 43and 93 oppose ,each other.

The peanut'vines from which the peanuts are to be picked are fed' to theracks. on an inclined platform 116. To the inner end of this platform issecured'a concave 117 having resilient teeth 118, as clearly shown inFig. 4. The teeth 39 of the upper moving rack engage the vines, andafter dragging them through the teeth 118 carry them over the rack 44and past the teeth '59 and 68 on this rack. In order to preventthe vinesfrom clinging to the teeth 39 after they have reached the end of therack 44, which would result in the vines being carried up and over therack 34, I provide at the rear end of the machine an oscillatorycleaning fork 119. This for; is carried on a frame 121 supported at oneend upon a shaft 122 which is suspended by means of links 123, 123, froma second shaft 124 mounted in the rearwardly projecting arms 125 of abracket structure 126 on the upperprojecting end of the frame.Thisibracket 126 also has journaled therein a lateral crank shaft 127,the cranks 119 which is given a vertical oscillatory movement adapted toclear the vines which cling to the teeth 39, the vines thus detacheddropping to the floor.

In passing over the rack 44, the vines are subjected to the action ofthe teeth on the upper and lower racks and are so straightened out, thepeanuts which are pulled off by the action of the teeth dropping downthrough the apertures 49, 54 and 55, in the rack 44.- Others of the nutswhile dragging over the rack 44 fall down into the apertures 55 and arepulled from the vines by means of the teeth 56 at the forward edges ofthese apertures. Separation of the peanuts from the vines is furtherassisted by the vibratory motion of the cradle 43.

The peanuts thus passing through the rack 44 fall upon the inclinedshelves 81 and 82 and are passed by gravity assistedby the vibration ofthe cradle over the flexible connector 103 and to the rack 99. Thecradle 93 is also in vibration, and as a consequence N the rodswhiehmake up the grate 99 are given a vibratory movement which causes theloose peanuts to pass through the rods onto the grate 96. Peanuts whichstill have any material quantity of the vine adhering moaeoa 11upwardlythrough the duct 106 and between the racks 29 and 44, with theresult that the peanuts are removed, the vines passing to the end of therack 44 and dropping to the floor. Those peanuts which pass through thegrates 99 and 96 fall to the inclined shelf 108 down which they pass bygravity and by reason of the vibration of the cradle 93 to the saws 19,19, which remove such small stems and tails as may still adhere to thepeanut, the completely cleaned peanuts then passing into the trough 111and discharging through the ends of the trough to the sides of themachine.

It will be apparent, as hereinbefore set forth, that the teeth of therack 44 may be adjusted to give a maximum efiiciency in the pickingoperation, and where extremely small peanuts, such as Spanish peanuts,are to be picked, the extra teeth may be brought into action to therebyadapt the machine for this work.

I claim:

1'. In a peanut picker, the combination with an endless toothed rack, ofa relatively reciprocating perforated rack positioned below the saidendless rack and having teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of theendless rack, mechanism for operating the endless rack, mechanism foroperating said reciprocating rack, and means at both ends of therelatively reciprocating rack for adjusting said rack vertically toregulate the space between it and the said endless rack.

2. In a peanut picker, the combination with an upper endless toothedrack, of a. perforated rack mounted below the said endless rack andhaving teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of the upper rack, means forfeeding vines to the teeth of the endless rack whereby the Vines arecarried between the racks, and an oscillating rake at the discharge endof the racks adapted to remove adhering vines from the teeth of theendless rack. i

3. In a peanut picker, the combination with an upper endless toothedrack, of a perforated rack below the said upper rack and .having teethadapted to mesh with the teeth of said upper rack, mechanism foractu'atlng the endless rack, a crank shaft at .the discharge end of saidrack, a-rakc operatively connected with the shaft and adapted to beoscillated so as to remove adhering vines from the teeth of the endlessrack, and mechanism for operating the said crank shaft.

4. In a peanut picker, the combination with an endless toothed rack, ofa reciprocating cradle established below the rack, a perforated toothedrack adjustably carried by the cradle, meansproviding for adjustment ofthe perforated rack with respect to said cradle and toward and from thesaid endless rack, mechanism for actuating the endless rack andmechanism for actuating the reciprocating cradle.

5. In a peanut picker, the combination with a pair of relatively movableracks having intermeshing teeth, one of the racks being perforated andadapted to receive a re ciprocating motion relative to the other rack,the other rack being adapted to draw the vines through the teeth andover the said perforations of the perforated rack, and finely. dividedserrations at the edge of said perforations adapted to strip the peanutsfrom the vines as they are advanced over the rack.

6., In a peanut picker, the combination with a pair of relativelymovable racks having intermeshing teeth, one of the racks be ingperforated and the other rack being adapted to draw vines through theteeth of theperforated rack, a grate adapted to re ceive materialpassing through the perforated rack, said grate being adapted to permitthe passage of peanuts therethrough but preventing the passage of thevines, and air operated conveyor mechanism for returning I the saidvines to the racks to be passed for a second time therebetween.

7. In ,a peanut picker, the combination .with a pair of relativelymovable racks having inter'meshing teeth, one of the racks beingperforated and the other rack being adapted to draw vines through theteeth of the perforated rack, a grate adaptedto re ceive materialpassing through the perforated rack, saidvgrate being adapted to permitthe passage of peanuts therethrough but preventing the passage of vineparticles, mechanism for returning the said vine particles to the racksto be passed for a second time therebetween, said mechanism comprising aduct adapted to receive the vine particles from the grate and extendingupwardly to the toothed racks, and a blower adapted to create a draft ofair through the duct for carrying the vine particles upwardly to theracks. I

8. In a peanut picker, the combination with a pair of relatively movableracks having inter-meshing teeth, one of the racks being perforated andthe other rack being adapted to draw vines through the teeth and overthe perforations of said perforated rack, means for collecting thematerial passiing 'through the perforated rack and for separating theloose peanuts from the vine particles, and air operated conveying meansfor returning the vine particles to the toothed racks to be again passedtherebetWeen. I

9. In a peanut picker, the combination with a pair of relatlvely movableracks having inter-meshing teeth, one of said racks being perforated andadapted to have the vines drawn through the teeth thereof and over saidperforations, a grate established below the perforated rack and adaptedto said grate comprising a plurality of resilient strips supported atone end only in parallel relation, means for vibrating the said strips,and means for collecting the peanut-s passing between the strips. 1

10. In a peanut picker, the combination with an upper longitudinallymovable toothed rack, of a cradle mounted below the rack, brackets onsaid cradle, pins adjustable vertically in the brackets, a perforatedrack supported by said pins and having teeth intermeshi-ng with theteeth of said longitudinally movable rack, and mechanism for actuatingthe said movable rack.

11. In a peanut picker, the combination receive the material passingtherethrough,

with a pair of relatively movable racks havsaid racks diminishing fromone end of the rack to the other.

13. A rack for peanut pickers comprising a frame, teeth on said framearranged in transverse rows, and means for rotating alternate teeth ofindividual transverse rows to operative and inoperative positions.

14. A rack for peanut pickers comprising a frame, teeth secured to thesaid frame in a transverse row, said teeth having loop formations, ashaft journaled in said loops, and teetlrsecured to said shaft andadapted to be moved thereby into and out of a position corresponding tothat ofthe teeth secured to the frame.

PAUL L. MORR S.

